Vol. 57 No. 40 May 03 – May 09, 2016 RCB Felicitates Shabana Azmi With Shri Pravin Chandra Gandhi Award very once in a while a megastar comes along to widen and deepen the very essence of stardom. That is the experience that all Eof the two hundred and twenty-seven present at RCB’s joint Club Meeting with RCB-Hill South on the 26th of April, took back with them that day. It was definitely one of the more special afternoons for RCB, with veteran actor of global repute and committed social worker, Shabana Azmi being felicitated with the prestigious Shri Pravin Chandra Gandhi Award for Excellence in Public Life. She went on to wow us all with her address to the Club where she presented a thought-provoking Shabana Azmi Awarded the Shri Pravin Chandra Gandhi Award by Rtn. talk on ‘The Indian Film Industry’s Role in Amit Gandhi, Pres. Rtn. Dr. Sonya Mehta and Pres. Rtn. Poddar RCB Public Life Today’. Presenting the award to Shabana Hill South Azmi were Rtn. Ram Gandhi, direct Sonya Gandhi, who read out the citation, Shabana Azmi for participating actively in descendent of Shri Pravin Gandhi, along “The Rotary Club of Bombay is proud to various forms of public life in a dedicated with President Rtn. Ratan Poddar from present the Shri Pravin Chandra Gandhi and exemplary manner.” RCB, Hill South and our President Rtn. Dr. Award for Excellence in Public Life to Ms. (Full Report on Pages 4 & 5)
Learn How To Use INSIDE THIS ISSUE FORTHCOMING EVENTS ‘ROW’
ROW or Rotary On Wheels Page 2: •• May 10, 2016 is an App made to further the The 5th Annual Tennis Fellowship Neema Majmudar Addresses RCB convenience of all Rotarians and keep them connected Page 3: •• May 17, 2017 at all times. Rtn. Murad Get ROWing with Rtn. Murad Currawalla Anant Goenka addresses RCB Currawalla demystifies the use of the ROW App for the Pages 4 & 5: •• September 30, 2016 easy usage of the Club Roster, Shabana Azmi Speaks On ‘The Indian 9-Day Fellowship to Iceland as an example. Film Industry’s Role in Public Life Today’
(Details on Page 3) Page 6: The BY Offsite Lonavala Retreat
Page 7: BY Kids Revel at Kidzania
May 03 to May 09, 2016 The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay Page 1 The Sports Committee Presents The Fifth Annual Tennis Fellowship
n the crisp Sunday morning of 24th March, 2016, the Tennis Stars of RCB gathered to celebrate the sporting spirit of OFellowship through the game of Tennis, at the Bombay Gymkhana, marking this as the Fifth Annual Tennis Tournament. Being a Sunday, numerous talented tennis players showed up early morning to occupy the limited number of courts available on first cum first basis. Soon, it was quite a sight to behold the adjoining three courts were filled up by talents of Rotary Club of Bombay including PP Rumi Jehangir, golfer-turned-tennis-pro RCB’s Tennis Champs and Cheerleaders! Rtn. Bimal Mehta and also stalwarts Rtns. Anand Dalal, Dinesh Daftary, Jaidev Merchant, Mehul Sampat, Sameer Kaji, Satyan Israni, Jamshyd Vazifdar, Mehernosh Dotivala, Ishraq Contractor with his sons Raed and Ayush, and a wild card entry of the young nine-year-old Nisha (daughter of Rtn. Anand Dalal). Organised under the immaculate leadership of Rtns. Moy Biswas, the de facto chief of most sporting activities of Rotarians at Play the Rotary Club of Bombay, along with Smiles All at The 5th Annual ground stroke – a scintillating hour and a Tennis Fellowship! half of tennis was played out, witnessed by President Rtn. Dr. Sonya Mehta and PP Nowroze Vazifdar; and to encourage and motivate the participants and Match Referee, Photographer of the event and main organizer, Moy “Alan Mills” Biswas. The President presented a special trophy to Nisha Dalal, being the youngest ever to have participated in a Rotary Sports Event. In true Rotary Spirit, the morning ended with a breakfast fellowship attended by all present. Rtn. Moy closed The Fellowship Lunch post the the event by thanking all the participants and especially Rtn. Satyan Israni, who in Game the history of the Club is the only person who has ever participated in all the Sports Anand Dalal, which lived up to its motto events of the year namely Table Tennis, Special Award for Nisha Dalal of spreading goodwill and fellowship. Our Football, Golf, Cricket and of course, (daughter of Rtn. Anand Dalal) for tennis stars gave the best of the best a Tennis! being the youngest participant in a run for their money. Volley after volley, Well played, Rotarians! Rotary Sports Event ! smash after smash, ground stroke after
Page 2 The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay May 03 to May 09, 2016 Report: 6th Assimilation Committee Mini-Fellowship he 6th Mini- Fellowship of the President Elect Rtn. Dr. Mukesh Assimilation Committee was Batra, Director Rtn. Ramesh and Devi held at the Willingdon Club, Golf Narian, Rtn. Sheila Bulchandani, Rtn. View Restaurant on Tuesday, Dr. Shahrukh and Dina Golwalla, Rtn. Tthe 26th of April at 7:30pm. Assimilation Dr. Darius and Ayesha Soonawalla, Director Rtn. Dr. Nayna Dastur and PP Rtn. Ghulam Vahanvaty, Rtn. Manoj Rtn. Dr. Adi Dastur generously hosted and Nandita Patodia, Rtn. Mahesh eighteen Rotarians to an evening treat Khubchandani, Rtn. Samir and Shailaja of cocktails, dinner and camaraderie in Mogul and our most gracious host- a 10-person2-tables format, charged couple, who sat one on each table, to with round table discussions and Rotary ensure that all the guests were well banter, as the drink and food kept looked after. coming. Rotarians swapped tables post dinner so that all present could interact The Assimilation Committee warmly with each other for a fun evening of thanks Rtn. Drs. Nayna and Adi Dastur assimilation. for their lovely hospitality and looks forward to more Rotarians coming In attendance were President Rtn. Dr. forward to host mini-fellowships in the Sonya Mehta and Rotary Don Bomi coming months. Gracious Mini-Fellowship Hosts, Framroze, PP Arun and Aarti Sanghi, Rtn. Drs. Nayna and Adi Dastur Get ROWing with Rtn. Murad Currawalla n an attempt to help familiarize the usage of the roster, since many of hoped that it will be used increasingly Rotarians with the exclusive App us may need to contact a Rotarian and as a more convenient tool of connect. A ‘Rotary-On-Wheels’ on ‘ROW’, Murad may not have immediate access to the pictoral understanding via screenshots Currawalla explains the simplicity roster. Please note that the App is free should help further: Iinvolved in starting off by showcasing and exclusively for Rotarians and it is
The ROW app has numerous Rotarians can be located on We can either scroll through a Member details are displayed. features we are unaware the app via their names or list or type in the name at the If you select the phone of including notifications, other criteria like place of top. For this example we are number, the App will directly meeting schedules, etc. Our work, job type, classification searching for “Sonya Mehta”. call the person. Select the focus is the Club Roster, hence of blood group type, etc. We type “Mehta” in the search email option to send a new we tap on “Club Roster” For this example, we select bar and select the name. message/mail. “Rotarian”
May 03 to May 09, 2016 The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay Page 3 Shabana Azmi Speaks On ‘The Indian Film Industry’s Role in Public Life Today’ (Cont’d from Page 1)
of her life from acting to activism, “I Mrinal Sen’s ‘Khandar’; or Vishal grew up in a family where my parents Bhardwaj’s ‘Godmother’. Shabana believed that art should be used as Azmi is also India’s first actor to star in an instrument of social change. And numerous international films including they practiced what they preached - ‘Immaculate Conception’; ‘Son of my father through his work as a poet, Pink Panther’; ‘In Custody’; ‘City Of writer, activist and a member of the Joy’; and a couple of films awaited Communist Party, and my mother by her ardent fans include ‘It’s A with her work as an actor. Though it Wonderful Afterlife’ and ‘Reluctant should have been a given that I should Fundamentalist’. Her theater career have followed that dictum almost by a has also been legendary, with eminent process of osmosis, I got so involved in plays including ‘Tumhari Amrita’, ‘The the business of becoming a fellow actor Waiting Room’ and ‘Broken Images’, that I kept myself away from politics amongst several others. and social life and I prided myself for not even reading the newspapers! Speaking on her life as an actor and I give credit to my father who never her move towards social activism, she pressurized me to get into being more shared, “For an actor, you draw all socially responsible – I think he was your experiences from life. If you are
Shabana Azmi addresses the Club
eteran actor and social worker, Shabana Azmi was conferred the prestigious Shri Pravin Chandra Gandhi VAward for Excellence in Public Life by the Rotary Club of Bombay, on the 26th of April, 2016. Also present at the function was known dignitary and industry fellow, Dolly Thakore who introduced her in a glaring tribute saying “It is not a cliché when I say that no one deserves the Shree Pravin Chandra Gandhi Award for Excellence in Public Life more than Shabana Azmi - a five time winner of the National Film Awards. Film Personality Shekhar Kapoor of ‘Bandit Queen’ fame rightly Shabana Azmi answers questions seated with the Panel. said, ‘whenever the history of Indian Cinema is written, Shabana Azmi aware that the soil was so fertile that playing characters that are standing will feature at the turning points’. Her the plant was bound to take root!” up against social injustices, a time will career transcends all genres of films Azmi’s contribution to Indian Cinema come when some of the residue of from art-house and middle of the road and the portrayal of the India woman those parts stays behind with you. And to mainstream releases.” on the Indian screen is unmatched via that’s what happened with me.” An her award-winning performances in area brought into focus for Shabana Accepting the award with grace, epic Hindi films like Shyam Benegal’s via her portrayal in films was related Shabana Azmi explained the genesis ‘Ankur’; Mahesh Bhatt’s ‘Arth’; to the burgeoning slum issue in cities.
Page 4 The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay May 03 to May 09, 2016 “Demolishing slums is not the answer – when we demolish the slums, people do not go back to the villages from where they migrated, they simply move to other slums a few kilometers away and add to the worsening living conditions there! A time came when we decided to go on a five-day hunger strike in the early ‘80s, demanding alternative land for slum dwellers, according to government policy. Anand Patwardhan’s participation and Shashi Kapoor’s intervention with the government finally helped in getting land for the slum dwellers to relocate to.”
“The kind of acting school I come from believes that the actor should be like water, taking up the shape of the vessel that it is poured into. And Rtn. Dr. Ashish Contractor poses an interesting question... there lies the contradiction. Does the Indian Film Industry have a role in public life? I would say of course! As stars we receive so much love and affection from people that there isa natural desire to give back, to make a difference in people’s lives, to use our celebrity status to draw attention to issues that are of public concern. Unfortunately Indian film stars are not allowed to cross a line – they are free to speak on safe subjects like polio eradication but all hell breaks loose if they speak on subjects with political connotations. When we take on public issues, we need to have around us a critical mass of people who will fight and stand by you and will be vocal in support of you and your right to express your views on a public issue, even if you do not agree with it. For people in the film industry, the very real threat of our film being boycotted gags It’s Full-House for Shabana Azmi’s Felicitation us into silence. Little wonder than that most stars would rather pay their dues clear. It’s easy to say we don’t want to you may sometimes need to challenge by indulging in acts of charity than get politically engaged. Is that really the status quo because working for challenge the status quo or demand possible? Any act of engagement with change is a political act. If people sane dialogue.” public life is a political act, even if not from the Indian Film Industry are to confined to a political party. So, on play a bigger role in public life, they “A film personality is as much a citizen behalf of my friends and colleagues need support from a critical mass of on India as anyone else and must be in the film industry I appeal to influential people. You may not agree given the right to speak up on issues organisations such as yours to provide with them but I urge you to defend that are of public concern, whether space for all opinions to be expressed. to the end their right to say so,” she palatable or not. And that is where After all, dissent is a democratic right. concluded. organisations like the RCB have a Any criticism of the establishment, any role to play. I urge you to form support reservation about prevailing values groups that can back the celebrity must not be deemed unpatriotic or anti- under attack, and speak out loud and national. To be engaged in public life
May 03 to May 09, 2016 The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay Page 5 The BY Offsite Lonavala Retreat he Bhavishya Yaan (BY) Committee recently had its first weekend offsite in Lonavala at Rtn. Ashok TJatia’s Rhythm Resorts on April 16th and 17th. The theme of the offsite may aptly be described as “Nostalgia” and “Passion, the driving force of BY”. Over 35 Rotarians and R’annes were present including Pres. Rtn. Dr. Sonya Mehta, President Elect Rtn. Dr.Mukesh Batra, President Nominee Rtn. Ramesh Narayan and Rtn. Arun Sanghi, and the Knowledge Partners, apart from BY’s Present Chairman Rtn. Madhusudan Daga, Co-Chair Rtn. Rajesh Shah, PPs Rtns. Manoj Patodia, Manish Reshamwala, Preeti Mehta, Shivkumar Israni, and BY’s new Chairman 2016/ 17, Rtn. Satayan Israni, amongst other committee members. Visual was shown, which captured On 16th April, the BY Committee the journey of BY from its inception in members and spouses arrived at 2009 to today. Rhythm Resorts. After a sumptuous lunch, the Committee met in the Jaya then concluded the “formal” Conference Room. R’anne Jaya session by sincerely thanking all. Prasad, Coordinator of the NMJ The evening continued with fun and School, organized the offsite and games including indoor and outdoor proved to be quite the Master of games, with two groups being formed Ceremonies for the unique function. – ‘Oddly Orange’ and ‘Go Green’, She welcomed everyone and shared and the latter winning the rolling how BY was responsible for her and trophy of Rhythm Lonavala and the her husband, Rtn. S.V Prasad’s famous chikki. An action packed entry into Rotary. In a similar evening lead into a great dinner party vein, a number of Rotarians and which went on late into the night with R’annes passionately shared their live music with some of the talented interesting and inspiring experiences lot lending their voice to the mic working with the dynamic Bhavishya including Rtn. Dr. Mukesh Batra and Yaan Committee, including Rtns R’anne Vandana Daga. Champagne and R’annes: Alok Seksaria, Co- was popped open to jointly celebrate Chairman Rajesh Shah, Pradhan, Rtn. Jimmy and Aavan Vakharia’s Niranjan, Pratibha Pai, Neeta, Aavan wedding anniversary and Rtn. and Rinku Suchanti. Rtns. Ramesh, the Worli School. Rotary President Manish Reshamwala’s birthday. The Alok and Madhu then shared their Elect Rtn. Dr. Mukesh Batra spoke celebrations continued late into the vision of expanding BY’s activities to eloquently as regards “passion in night with Rtns. Arun Sanghi and other schools. one’s work” as an important criteria, Ashok Jatia taking to the floor! and went on to spontaneously offer Almost every speaker mentioned providing homeopathic medicines for And so came to an end the BY offsite Rtn. Ramesh Narayanan’s name and the BY children in his clinics. Rtn. the next day, even as everyone his role in BY since its very inception. Ashok Jatia, Director BY 2016/17 reluctantly returned to Mumbai, but President Rtn. Dr. Sonya Mehta, who was so touched that he offered to renewed with the promise of another has been associated with BY right sponsor BY children to his Resort in exciting BY offsite next year! from the first year was the mentor of the coming academic year. An Audio
Page 6 The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay May 03 to May 09, 2016 BY Kids Revel at Kidzania
n April 25, 110 Bhavishya Yaan students from Colaba , Byculla and GK Marg Centre were treated to a once-in-a-lifetime Oexperience for their annual picnic to the famous Kidzania - a global indoor theme park located at R-City Mall, Ghatkopar. A family entertainment center for children from the age of four to sixteen, Kidzania is more about infotainment, aimed at enhancing the social and cognitive skills of children by operating like a real city, built- to-scale for children, comprising paved roads, cars, city buildings, recognizable Enacting a surgery in the OT! establishments, a functioning economy and its own currency!
The BY children were ecstatic and could see more than sixty real-world establishments (Yes Bank, Amity University, Coca-Cola, The Times of India, DHL, etc.) and participated in over thirty activities which simulated the experience of real-life skills. They performed jobs as a stylist, fireman, radio jockey, surgeon, dentist , nursing , beautician and many more. Young Beauticians at Work!
Kidzania gave the children an opportunity to play adult roles by allowing them to The children had a wonderful time and emulate, re-enact and participate in adult experience. They enjoyed themselves activities and experiences. The BY children thoroughly and performed each task with also experienced local establishments like enthusiasm . It was a good method to be the Bollywood Acting Academy, Pottery exposed to various occupations and feel Studio and the Dabbawalla service (boxed the satisfaction of earning. They were lunch delivery) and immensely enjoyed happily surprised to see working models the act of pretending to pack and deliver of so many things under one roof with air tiffins! They even got paid for the jobs they conditioning and loud music which kept did in Kidzania currency, and from the them peppy and happy. They also fully same earnings they bought accessories enjoyed the snacks which were beautifully Playing the Pretty Dabbawalas at from the allocated departmental stores. decorated and served to them. Kidzania
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May 03 to May 09, 2016 The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay Page 7 Published on Tuesday, May 03, 2016. Regd. No. MCS/091/2015-17; R.N.I No. 14015/60. WP P License No. MR/TECH/WPP-89/South 2015 ednesday May 04, 2016
ROTARY CLUB OFFICERS Birthday Greetings OFFICE-BEARERS 2015/16 Neema Majmudar PRESIDENT Dr. SONYA MEHTA Immediate Past President Shailesh Haribhakti Addresses RCB President-Elect Dr. Mukesh Batra President Nominee Ramesh Narayan eema Honorary Secretary Manish Reshamwala Majmudar Joint Hon. Secretary Framroze Mehta possesses Hon. Treasurer Meera Alreja DIRECTOR : DR. MUKESH BATRA the dynamic Rotary Foundation PP Dr. Rumi Jehangir Ncombination of PP Nowroze Vazifdar international exposure, Membership PP Arun Sanghi PP Paul George education and indepth Arjun Jolly Suhail Nathani Sergeant-at-Arms Rekha Tanna spiritual knowledge, Hoshang Nazir 3rd May 3rd May DIRECTOR : SAMIR CHINAI which establishes Environment Jagdish Malkani her as an inspiring Alok Sekhsaria Animal Welfare Priyasari Patodia writer and teacher of Ramon Kripalaney Indian Philosophy. Asiatic Society Aditya Somani Rohan Dalal Having studied Indian DIRECTOR : DR. AASHISH CONTRACTOR Philosophy under the famous philosopher and Water Resources PP Sandip Agarwalla Sanskrit scholar, Swami Dayananda, Neema has Ravi Fotedar Chairman Emeritus, Talwada PP Dr. Rahim Muljiani shared her expertise with the UN in field of economic HTEC, Talwada PP Dr. Rumi Jehangir and social development in New York, Thailand and Jyoteendra Kothary Ajit Surana ADMC, Talwada Dr. Sorab Javeri Fiji. Neema holds a Master’s Degree in International DIRECTOR : DR. NAYNA DASTUR 6th May 6th May Women’s Empowerment Arin Master Affairs from Columbia University, New York and an Rajeev Narvekar MBA. Scholarships Zinia Lawyer Abhinav Agarwal For over fifteen years now, Neema has been Assimilation Manoj Patodia conducting conferences, seminars and retreats Mahesh Khubchandani across the world in the domain of Personal DIRECTOR : RITU PRAKASH DESAI Bhavishya - Yaan Rajesh Shah Development and Philosophy. Organised in Madhusudan Daga partnership with her husband, Surya Tahora, these In Camera Ashok Kumar seminars incorporate concepts of Indian Philosophy Vandana Kanoria Attendance Arvind Agarwal with Western Psychology, Ethics, Physics, Sitaram Shah Ashwin Thakkar DIRECTOR : SHIV DEV GOROWARA Neurobiology and Management. These activities Cancer Aid Sameer Tapia 7th May 7th May Farokh Balsara are aimed at guiding individuals and leaders of Senior Citizens PP Ashish Vaid various organizations towards being more objective, Akshayapatra PP Dr. Zerxis Umrigar dynamic and compassionate in an increasingly PP Harry Singh Arora DIRECTOR : PREETI MEHTA interconnected and complex world. One of their Interact Natasha Treasurywala latest accomplishments is authoring the book ‘Living Bipin Vazirani Rotaract Satyan Irani the Vision of Oneness’, which expounds the ways in Sherbanu Baldiwala which the vision of The Bhagavad Gita and Vedas Legal Aid Hormazdiyaar Vakil can be utilized in daily life. DIRECTOR : JAIDEV MERCHANT Programme Manish Kejriwal Meeting Stats: Ravi Sheth Members (RCB): 141 Fund - Raising Pradeep Chinai Sam Katgara Sports and Yoga Hiranmay Biswas Members (RCB Hill South): 49 9th May Jamshyd Vazifdar Sitaram Shah R/annes: 14 DIRECTOR : FREYAZ SHROFF Visiting Rtns: 3 Rotaryanne Vocational Training Bimal Mehta Shernaz Vakil Guests: 12 Shefali Desai – 3rd May Bulletin Pratap Padode Rotaractors: 8 Kamal Pandole – 3rd May Murad Currawalla Fellowship Jai Advani Total: 227 Anita Bansal - 5th May Khurshed Poonawala Sudesh Dhir - 6th May ROTARY CLUB OF BOMBAY FOUNDED 19 MARCH, WPP License No. Radhika Jain - 7th May MR/TECH/WPP-89/South 2015 1929 Charter No. 3128, Dated 08 May, 1929 97-B, License to post without prepayment. MittalTower, Nariman Point, Mumbai 400 021, INDIA Thrity Javeri - 9th May Posted at Mumbai Patrika Channel Sorting Tel.:+91-22-2202 4089 Fax.: +91-22-2202 4509 Office, Mumbai 400001. Posted on Wednesday October 28, 2015 [email protected]
Editorial Consultant: Anahita Subedar Printed, Published by President Rtn. Dr. Sonya Mehta on behalf of Rotary Club of Bombay and printed at Indigo Press, Plot No. E-Mail: [email protected] 1C/716, Off Dadoji Konddeo Cross Road, Between Sussex and Retiwala Ind. Estate, Byculla (E), Mumbai 400027. Ph: 23705200 / M: +91 9892007893 01/ 02 / 03. [email protected]. Editor Arjun Bulchandani.
Page 8 The Bulletin of the Rotary Club of Bombay May 03 to May 09, 2016